COLUMBIA, SC (WCSC) – With the start of the college football season in South Carolina occurring at the same time as a third-day vacation weekend, amid a wave of COVID-19 cases, the health experts worry that things could get worse.
“We will have a new rise with the opening of universities. We will have a new rise, as schools do not have masks and generate a large number of cases. And then, we’ll have Labor Day trips on top of that. So yes, there will be a new rise, ”said Dr. Helmut Albrecht, chair of the Department of Medicine at Prisma Health Medical Group.
Medical experts are already concerned about the rate of new cases in South Carolina.
Palmetto’s state leads the country in new daily COVID-19 infections when population size is taken into account, according to the New York Times.
The state has eight children with ventilators with COVID-19 and a total of 17 in critical care, according to the SC Children’s Hospital Collective.
And, according to a model from the University of Washington, South Carolina is expected to lose about 2,000 more people by the virus by the end of the year.
Albrecht said maximum case reports in other states are not what will likely happen in South Carolina.
“It’s reaching a level too high and it’s not reaching a peak in the southeast and deep south that only have a larger contingency of people who can become infected,” he said.
Albrecht explained that hospitals are beginning to see older people re-entering patients with COVID-19, often infected by younger people.
“We will go up. That’s how it works, “he said.
For those who are vaccinated and want to enjoy the long weekend, he says it’s hard to completely eliminate the risk of getting the virus. However, he said that if someone vaccinated wants to meet inside with other people vaccinated without a mask, the spread is low and can be further reduced if people attending the event are usually cautious about potential exposure to COVID.
Still, he said being on a stage full of people screaming and screaming is risky even for vaccinated people. So he suggests masking himself if someone is determined to go to a party this weekend.
Copyright 2021 WCSC. All rights reserved.